Can You Put Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer?

Yes! You can put parchment paper in an air fryer.

Parchment paper is a life savior when it comes to the air fryer and can be a big help in keeping the air fryer clean.

Why Do We Need Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer? 

Air fryers are an amazing and handy tool in the kitchen.

They are versatile and can be used for cooking oil-free chicken wings, veggies like potato wedges, tortilla chips, zucchini chips, pizzas, rolls, and baking brownies.

You can also use an air fryer to reheat or warm food quickly and evenly. 

If you own an Airfryer, you would know how messy cleaning up afterward can get.

In the case of wired basket shapes, it becomes difficult to remove the stuck pieces from the bottom. 

Even if you grease the bottom with oil, some sticking does remain in the end. 

To avoid the food sticking to the bottom of the air fryer and for an easy clean-up after every preparation, use parchment paper at the bottom of the basket.

Allow me to list out a few advantages of parchment paper in an air fryer.

Advantages of Using Parchment Papers in an Air Fryer

  • The parchment sheets will protect your basket from harsh scrubbing and, in turn, protect the non-stick lining from wearing out. Use parchment sheets to increase the shelf life of your Airfryer.
  • If you do not want to grease your basket or oil your food, use parchment paper instead. It will substitute as a non-stick layer and prevent sticking. 
  • Parchment sheets are a great option for cooking chicken bits in thick sauces. The sticky sauce, which otherwise can mess up the basket, will not stick to the parchment sheet.
  • If you need to bake or cook food that loses shape while carrying to and fro from the counter to the basket, use parchment sheets to carry them without dripping.
  • For cheesy dishes that melt when heated, use parchment papers underneath to collect the gooey liquid.
  • They are especially helpful in releasing delicate food like fish. If you have ever attempted to remove salmon from the basket and ended up breaking it, you know what I am talking about. 
  • Some foods leave rectangular-shaped, tiny particles like chips, etc. These are hard to clean, especially in the nooks and corners of the basket. Use parchment sheets under such dishes.
  • If you wish to defrost food, use parchment sheets underneath. It will collect the excess fluid that gradually oozes out.
  • Parchment papers are environmentally friendly as they are 100% compostable and biodegradable. They can be easily thrown into a recycle bin. 
  • Parchment papers are usually made to withstand high temperatures. You can use it for practically anything inside an air fryer, be it frying, baking, defrosting, or reheating. 
  • The best thing about them is that they offer a non-stick surface both to the food on top and to the bottom of the basket below. Flip it either way, and you won’t find it sticking to food or the basket surface. 
  • Parchment papers are quite economical. You can easily afford them, and they are worth purchasing in bulk. They are also easily available in the market or online.
Also read: Can You Put a Paper Towel in Air Fryer?

Tips on Using Parchment Paper in the Airfryer

Here are some helpful tips to help you use parchment paper in an air fryer easily and comfortably 

  • Always read the instructions manual that comes along with your air fryer.
  • Use perforated parchment paper or create tiny perforations all over the paper for good airflow
  • If you are preheating your air fryer, do not leave the parchment paper inside. The hot air will easily blow it away damaging the heating element, the fan, etc. It can even get sucked inside the heating element catching fire!
  • The parchment paper should always be placed inside the basket. Do not place it under the basket. 
  • The fan inside can blow away the parchment paper. Weigh it down properly at all corners with food or wrap food around it and tuck it up nicely under the food.
  • Check the quality of parchment paper. There are many categories of parchment sheets in the market. Some are unbleached, some are FDA approved. Use high-quality parchment paper that can withstand high temperatures up to 400F. There are also parchment sheets available in the market that are specially designed to be used inside an air fryer called parchment liners.
  • Placing parchment paper at the bottom of the basket helps to clean it up easily after cooking! 
Also read: Can You Put Parchment Paper in Microwave?

What Kind of Parchment Paper Works Best in an Airfryer? 

Use perforated parchment paper and not plain parchment sheets. To cook food inside an Airfryer, you need to let the air circulate freely. 

GoWISE USA GWA0011 Perforated Parchment Non-Stick Liners for Air Fryer Toaster Ovens, Dehydrators, Steaming, Dumplings-100 Pcs, 11.5 x 10 inches, White

The holes inside make sure the passage of hot air is circulated evenly across to the food. 

Buy good quality sheets that can withstand temperatures that you usually cook at. The best would be sheets that can withstand a maximum temperature of 400F/200C

Depending on the shape of your basket, choose oval, round, square, or rectangular-shaped sheets. Perforated parchment sheets are easily available at local stores or online.

Even if you buy plain rolls of parchment sheets, you can easily fit them inside your basket and perforate them at home.

Let me explain!

How to Make Perforated Parchment Paper for an Air Fryer? 

It’s quite easy. Follow the steps below to customize parchment paper according to your Airfryer

  1. Take out the basket and place it on the parchment paper. Trace the bottom shape of the basket on parchment paper with a pencil.
  2. Take scissors and cut around the tracing. Next, follow the pen tracing and cut to the exact shape. Keep the size slightly smaller than the basket dimensions to avoid sticking out from the holes.
  3. Once you have cut the parchment sheet to the required shape, cut other sheets as well to the same shape by placing the shaped parchment sheet above the other plain sheets.
  4. Fold the cut paper in half. And then into quarters. Punch a hole at the tip with a hole puncher (You can also use skewers or any sharp thin pointed object). Next, punch some holes around all the corners. 
  5. Fold one more time and punch two holes in the middle. Open up and it is ready to use. Do this with all the cut stacks until you have as many parchment sheets as you want for at least a week. Next weekend you can repeat the same procedure. 

For a complete tutorial watch the video below.

To save time and energy, the next best option is to purchase a precut and perforated parchment paper online or from a store. 

Here are a few commonly asked questions: 

Can I Use Aluminum Foil Instead of Parchment Paper? 

Yes, you can. The same rules apply to both sheets. Make sure the dimensions do not stick out of the basket.

The best thing would be to use a parchment sheet to wrap your food and then use aluminum foil over the wrapped sheet. This way there will be no danger of aluminum leaching.

You can line it up inside the basket but make sure to make some perforations for good airflow. 

Weigh your aluminum foil down with food at all ends. This will prevent it from blowing and getting stuck inside the fan or heating element.

Also read: Can You Put a Paper Plate in an Air Fryer?

Can I Use Baking Sheets Inside an Airfryer? 

Yes, you can use baking sheets inside an Airfryer.

Baking sheets are similar to parchment sheets. They are heat resistant and can be used easily inside an air fryer. 

The same rules that apply to parchment sheets should be applied while using baking sheets.

Use it to line your basket. Make sure the dimensions fit and are slightly smaller than the boundary of the basket, perforate it and weigh it down with food. 

Avoid Using Wax Sheets in Air Fryer

Wax sheets look very similar to parchment paper. They are also non-stick but are coated in wax. 

They are not heat resistant, unlike parchment sheets that have a heat-resistant silicone coating. 

Using wax paper inside will melt the wax into your food. The paper can also get stuck and damage your Airfryer. 

Another paper you should never use inside is tissue paper. Tissue paper is not heat resistant and can easily catch fire. 

Tissue papers are also lightweight so they can blow away and shred inside causing damage to your Airfryer machine.

Also read: Can You Freeze Parchment Paper?

Final Words

Summing up, I would like to stress that it is really important for you to read the manufacturing instructions for your safety as well as the safety of your Airfryer. 

The secret to great cooking lies in paying attention to the finer details

Use good quality parchment sheets that can withstand high temperatures. Never leave the sheet alone while preheating. 

A perforated parchment paper fitting into your basket dimensions should be used. 

If you have plain parchment sheets, follow the steps above to shape them up and perforate them at home easily.

Always weigh your sheet down with food to avoid it being blown away. 

Apart from keeping these few things in mind, using a parchment sheet inside the basket is very easy.

Just place it first and then place your food. As simple as that!  Happy air frying!

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I’m Jueria and I am a regular contributor on cookeryspace.com. In my articles, I share time-saving techniques, appliance wizardry, and health-friendly recipes to bring taste and wellness to your table. So raise a glass (or a spatula) with me, to good health and good food, made easy!